Flames scorched the earth. A few lucky Beastmen still clung to life.
Their powerful physiques and tenacious vitality had spared them immediate death, but standing was out of the question. They could only drag their mangled bodies forward with what little strength they had left.
Yet the magma surging up from deep within the earth quickly swallowed them. There was no miracle. They could only watch in despair as their bodies burned, each one turning into a writhing torch.
After an unknown amount of time, the Beastmen's wails finally faded. Fierce winds carried their ashes away, and the battlefield sank into suffocating silence.
Even the mighty Beastman army had been utterly crushed before the power of the True Dragon Lord.
"Is this the power of a True Dragon Lord?"
Draudillon, who had rushed over, stared at the scene in shock. What she witnessed forced a harsh realization upon her.
Her title as the [False True Dragon Lord] was nothing in comparison.
With that kind of power, destroying a nation would be effortless if one so desired.
The soldiers of the Dragon Kingdom nearby stood frozen, the light gradually draining from their eyes as they stared at the devastation.
They felt both joy and fear.
Joy, because the Beastman army had been completely annihilated and the Dragon Kingdom was safe.
Fear, because the power they had just witnessed was overwhelming. Even knowing that the Brightness Dragon Lord was His Majesty's grandfather, they could not stop their bodies from trembling.
He was nothing short of a walking calamity.
"True to his name, the Brightness Dragon Lord… a True Dragon Lord who commands the Seven Elements?"
"Terrifying power indeed."
Momonga murmured in admiration, then fell into thought. If he were to face the Brightness Dragon Lord in battle, what would the outcome be?
Beside him, Herohero was clearly thinking the same thing.
Though the Brightness Dragon Lord was now an ally, that did not stop them from measuring their own strength against his.
"How does it feel to vent a little?"
Naohara stepped forward, giving the Brightness Dragon Lord a brief once-over before asking with a smile.
"Forgive me for that unsightly display, Your Majesty. As for how I feel… quite good."
The Brightness Dragon Lord felt completely refreshed.
That crushing defeat earlier had been an exception. As a True Dragon Lord, his strength was beyond question.
"Well, since the matter's settled, we should get going."
They had meant to leave earlier, but the Dragon Princess's situation had delayed them.
Now that the Beastman army had been wiped out, there was no reason to remain.
Draudillon froze at those words. They were leaving already?
"Grandfather, and the four of you… won't you stay a little longer?"
Biting her lip, Draudillon gathered her courage and spoke.
"Well, we'd love to stay and look around, but we have other matters to attend to. Sorry about that."
Naohara refused without hesitation.
Momonga and Herohero nodded in agreement.
Draudillon's expression dimmed.
"Well… if I have time in the future, I'll come back."
Noticing her disappointment, the Brightness Dragon Lord hesitated for a moment before adding that.
After all, she was his descendant and could use Wild Magic. Visiting her occasionally would not be a problem.
Those words immediately brightened Draudillon's mood.
"Well then, farewell."
Naohara reached out and ruffled Draudillon's hair, opened a Gate, and stepped through first.
The Brightness Dragon Lord followed, dragging along the Heavenly Dragon Lord, who had been dozing off nearby.
Momonga and Herohero went in after them.
...
Tob Forest, Secret Base.
Unlike before, the place had undergone tremendous changes.
The Brightness Dragon Lord and the Heavenly Dragon Lord stepped out of the Gate and immediately sensed something unusual.
"Such pure magic power!"
With every breath, the almost tangible magic in the air flowed into his body, leaving the Brightness Dragon Lord feeling refreshed and invigorated.
For ordinary magical creatures, this was nothing short of paradise. Living in such dense, refined magic would allow them to grow stronger at an astonishing rate.
Even ordinary humans, bathed in this environment, would live free of illness and easily reach a ripe old age.
"No wonder… so they've drawn in the Earth Dragon Veins."
At some point, the Heavenly Dragon Lord had fully awakened. His gaze turned toward the ground.
With his dragon eyes piercing deep beneath the surface, he quickly found the answer.
Far below the earth, hundreds of Dragon Veins of varying sizes had been gathered here. Wrapped in a massive magic array, they continuously exhaled earth-vein magic power.
"It seems Sephis has been putting in a lot of effort, drawing in this many Dragon Veins."
Naohara's eyes shifted slightly as he thought to himself.
To draw in the Earth Dragon Veins and gather them in one place, there was only one being in The Great Tomb of Nazarick capable of such a feat: Sephis.
Naohara had once obtained a rare Class Change Scroll. However, due to his own class planning, he chose not to use it and instead gave it to an NPC he had personally designed.
[Draconic Vein Priest]
This class could communicate with the Earth Dragon Veins, greatly boosting its attributes for a short time while granting access to several unique and powerful spells.
It had no real shortcomings. An excellent class overall. The only drawback was that communicating with the Dragon Veins required prior preparation and could not be interrupted.
To put it simply, when empowered by Dragon Veins, Sephis was undoubtedly the most terrifying damage dealer among the Floor Guardians.
Even Shalltear, publicly regarded as the strongest Floor Guardian in The Great Tomb of Nazarick, would be unable to defeat Sephis in that state.
"Come on, Brightness, Heavenly. Let me show you something interesting."
Momonga beckoned with his skeletal hand and took the lead. Herohero and Naohara exchanged a faint smile and followed after him.
Along the way, numerous figures could be seen moving about: Demons, Vampires, Skeletons, and more. All of them were NPCs of The Great Tomb of Nazarick.
The moment they spotted Naohara and the others, they quickly set aside what they were doing and dropped to one knee in reverence.
"We humbly welcome the Supreme Beings!"
The Brightness Dragon Lord and the Heavenly Dragon Lord, who had been observing their surroundings behind the group, narrowed their eyes.
"So they brought their Guild with them as well… just like the Eight Greed Kings?"
Having confirmed a suspicion they had harbored for some time, the two True Dragon Lords quietly sighed.
Earlier, during their conversation, Sephis had mentioned the name [The Great Tomb of Nazarick].
Now they finally had their answer.
"At ease."
With that brief response, Momonga and the others passed through rows of buildings before eventually arriving at a vast plain.
Stretching out before them was an enormous pool of blood. Scalding Dragon Blood churned and boiled within it.
The magic of the Dragon Veins converged here. A massive dragon head structure continuously spewed magic power, giving the entire area an almost otherworldly beauty.
At the very center of the blood pool stood a massive orange-yellow boulder.
It greedily absorbed both magic and Dragon Blood, its surface flickering with faint light. If one drew close enough, it almost sounded as though a faint heartbeat pulsed from within.
Illusory giant dragons coiled around the boulder, adding an air of profound mystery to the scene.